Back up your GarageBand for iOS songs

Learn how to back up your GarageBand for iOS songs using iCloud, iCloud Drive, or AirDrop.

GarageBand for iOS saves songs within the app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. If you delete the GarageBand app, you'll also delete your songs. In case you ever have to delete and reinstall the app, make sure to back up your songs first. You can back up your songs by uploading them to iCloud, exporting them to iCloud Drive, or copying them to another Apple device using AirDrop.

You can also back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. A backup of your iOS device includes the songs saved within the GarageBand app. Make sure to back up your device so you can access your songs in case you lose, replace, or damage it.

Upload songs to iCloud

When you upload your songs to iCloud, you can access them and keep them up to date on all your iOS devices. You can upload all your songs at once to iCloud.

On an iPhone or iPod touch, tap in the Control Bar, then tap My Songs.
On an iPad, tap My Songs in the Control Bar.

Tap Select.

Tap the songs you want to upload.

In the Control Bar, tap .

Tap Upload Songs to iCloud. After your songs upload to iCloud, you'll see them in the My Songs browser with an iCloud icon.

If you delete and reinstall the app or if you get a new device, songs uploaded to iCloud automatically appear in the My Songs browser. To access the songs on a new device, make sure to sign in with your Apple ID.

Export songs to iCloud Drive

Using iCloud Drive, you can access your songs from another iOS device, a Mac, or a PC. You can export one song at a time to iCloud Drive.

On an iPhone or iPod touch, tap in the Control Bar, then tap My Songs.
On an iPad, tap My Songs in the Control Bar.

Tap Select.

Tap the song you want to back up.

Tap .

In the Share dialog, tap iCloud Drive.

Tap Project.

Browse to the location where you want to save the song.

After reinstalling GarageBand or getting a new device, you can import a song from iCloud Drive to GarageBand on your device.

On an iPhone or iPod touch, tap in the Control Bar, then tap My Songs.
On an iPad, tap My Songs in the Control Bar.

Tap , then tap Import from iCloud Drive.

In the iCloud Drive dialog, locate and tap the song you want to import.

The GarageBand songs you keep in iCloud use your iCloud storage. When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5 GB of free storage. If you use all your iCloud storage, you can buy more. Or you can use AirDrop to back up your songs to another device.

Back up songs using AirDrop

To back up your songs to another Apple device, you can use AirDrop. AirDrop makes a copy of the song on another Apple device.